Monday Open Thread

On my mind: nicknames. What do you call your kids? Do you call your sons “Buddy”? If you do, you’re just following a trend, according to this NYT article.

Like “sport” or “champ” of an earlier era, “buddy” has quietly evolved over the last 20 years into the go-to nickname for American parents, particularly fathers, looking to chum it up with their sons and daughters. How it got there is hard to say; good luck finding an adult who remembers his dad calling him buddy. But like “time out” and “use your words,” “buddy” has for better or worse taken a starring role in the lexicon of modern American parenting.

The article quotes a few psychologists who say “Buddy” is an indicator of the “We’re equals” style of parenting that has become increasingly popular, compared to the days when kids were seen and not heard. What do you think? Is “Buddy” a harbinger of laissez-faire parenting? Or just a sweet moniker?

We call our kids Maya Bear and Alex Bear. I couldn’t really tell you why. I also call them Mamita and Papito. And yes, sometimes Buddy slips out of my mouth.